Author: Michele Wunderlich

Water News

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

2020/2022 New York State Clean Water Act Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters

In the September 11, 2024 Environmental Notice Bulletin, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the Final 2020/2022 New York State Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters Requiring a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the Response to Public Comments on the Draft 2020/2022 List has been released. This Final 2020/2022 List identifies waters that do not meet applicable water quality standards and do not support applicable best uses, thereby requiring a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). You can find the 2020/2022 List and the Response to Public Comments here on DEC’s website.

Pollution Prevention Plan for Cayuga Lake Watershed

The NYSDEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced that the Cayuga Lake Total Maximum Daily Load has been finalized.  A TMDL is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved nutrient pollution reduction “budget” to help restore the water quality of Cayuga Lake’s southern end for recreation and help protect drinking water. The TMDL for the lake provides a detailed analysis of phosphorus pollutant sources, recommends a 30 percent reduction of phosphorus from the watershed to meet the lake’s water quality standards, and will be used by stakeholders throughout the entire watershed to improve water quality. The TMDL for Cayuga Lake is posted under “Lake TMDLs” on the Clean Water Plans webpage along with the response to public comments (chapter 8.0) and supporting documentation (appendices).

 

Public Comment Hearings – Wetland Rule Changes

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

By Aaron McKeon, Environmental Program Manager, CNYRPDB

New York’s 2022-2023 budget included landmark amendments to the state’s Freshwater Wetlands Act (Article 24 of the Environmental Conservation Law) which contained three fundamental changes:

  • Existing maps depicting freshwater wetlands will no longer be regulatory beginning on January 1, 2025. After that date, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) will be relying primarily on available aerial imagery and available remote data to determine whether there are state-regulated freshwater wetlands on a parcel.
  • Smaller wetlands of “unusual importance” will be regulated beginning on January 1, 2025, if they meet one, or more, of 11 newly established statutory criteria.
  • The default threshold for regulated wetlands will decrease from 12.4 acres to 7.4 acres in 2028. Implementing these statutory changes requires replacing the existing Freshwater Mapping and Classification regulations

One of the motivations for this change is the fact that, according to the DEC, “Inadvertent omissions and inaccuracies in the department’s original mapping efforts meant that an estimated one million acres of unmapped wetlands, meeting State jurisdictional criteria for protections, were left unprotected from development pressure and other impacts.”

More information is available at: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/waterbodies/wetlands/freshwater-wetlands-program

Informational Webinar

An informational webinar will be held on August 27,2024 and will cover:

  • the need for the regulatory changes,
  • the contents of the draft regulations,
  • how the comments received earlier in the year were incorporated, and
  • the next steps in finalizing the regulations.

Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Time:  1:00-2:00 p.m. on WebEx

Conservation and Land Use Webinar Series
Register to attend. (This webinar may fill up; capacity is limited to 1,000).

Public Comment Hearings

The State is holding two virtual public comment hearings in September: Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 1:00 pm and 6:00 p.m. Register by September 8th.

Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/g/cqEDZA2A5b
Date: Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/g/cqEDZA2A5b

In addition to the virtual public comment hearings, an in-person public comment hearing for the proposed rule will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 1:00 pm at the DEC Central Office at 625 Broadway, Albany, NY which is reasonably accessible to persons with impaired mobility:

 Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/g/j7CkFeJNRU

Hydrilla

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

By Liz Kreitinger, Steward/Executive Director, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network

Managing invasive Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in Cayuga Lake requires a combination of sustained chemical treatments, public education, and cooperative efforts from lake users to prevent further spread. Since its discovery in the inlet in 2011, each Hydrilla infestation location has been targeted with herbicide treatments which have reduced plant density and slowed its spread.

However, preventing the spread of Hydrilla by local boat traffic remains a significant challenge. In June, for the first time this year, Hydrilla was detected by a Finger Lakes Partnership for Invasive Species Management (FL-PRISM) Watercraft Steward at Cayuga Lake State Park who was inspecting a motorized kayak exiting the lake. This is the furthest point north in Cayuga Lake that Hydrilla has been detected to date. Preventing Hydrilla from spreading into the shallow northern shelf of Cayuga Lake and the canal  system is a top priority due to its vigorous growth which can choke waterways for recreation and crowd out other species.  In response to the finding, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and FL-PRISM have put additional effort towards surveys in areas surrounding the park. As of the beginning of August, no established fragments of Hydrilla have been found in the area.

Public awareness campaigns urging lake users to “Clean, Drain, Dry” boats and equipment, along with voluntary inspections by Watercraft Stewards, rely heavily on public cooperation, especially at private docks and informal launch sites. The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network’s education activities continue to focus on these activities and invasive species awareness.

Coordination with local partners is facilitated through the Cayuga Lake Hydrilla Task Force which now includes members from Tompkins, Cayuga and Seneca Counties. As part of an ongoing effort to manage Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake, herbicide treatments administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and DEC continue this summer in all three lakeshore counties. Surveys to monitor treatment effectiveness, plant community response, and possible new patches are ongoing. For details on treatment schedules and extent, water monitoring for herbicide levels, and herbicide information sheets visit our website: https://www.cayugalake.org/resources/hydrilla-information-action/.

 

Clean Up After Your Pet for Cleaner Water

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

Written by Michele Wunderlich

Cleaning up after your dog is not just a courtesy, it helps keep our lakes and streams clean. Pet waste can pollute our local water resources and can be a significant risk to public health!

Dog waste contains harmful bacteria and nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.  When rain or snowmelt flows over the land surface, it can pick up the pet waste and carry these bacteria and nutrients into nearby lakes, streams and wetlands.  The bacteria can cause human disease and health problems and can make the water unsafe for drinking and swimming.  Nitrogen and phosphorus

from the waste will also promote the growth of unwanted rooted aquatic plants and algae, including harmful algal blooms, in lakes and streams.

To prevent pet waste from getting into our waterbodies remember to take along a plastic bag or pooper scooper when you walk your dog. Flush the waste (not the bag) down the toilet or toss the waste (bag and all) into the garbage.

Clean water starts with you.

Protect Your Lake This Fourth of July: Use LED Flares

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

Road flares are a piece of safety equipment many people carry in their vehicle in case it breaks down. They are also often used in Ring of Fire celebrations by lakefront owners when they light flares to create a glowing ring around the lake. The traditional road flares are chemical, or incendiary (burning) flares. These are considered “flammable solids,” as they release dangerous potassium perchlorate and strontium nitrate when burned. These hazardous chemicals can cause adverse health effects, such as injury to eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Furthermore, the blinding light and smoke produced from these toxic flares create additional safety issues. These traditional flares are hot enough to melt tires, skin, and clothing.

The Finger Lakes are sensitive drinking water sources and essential economic drivers that are currently threatened by pollutants that drive the increasing frequency of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) among other water quality concerns. The size and duration of the use of traditional flares suggests a minimal impact to water quality, but when used in large numbers during Ring of Fire celebrations, at rates greater than common use scenarios, residual ash has a high possibility of contaminating nearby soil and water. It is in the community’s best interest to transition from the use of road flares to the use of LED flares to protect themselves and their drinking water sources while participating in Ring of Fire events. LED flares are non-combustible, low-cost, waterproof, reusable, and do not contain hazardous materials that can burn the skin, eyes, and lungs. LED flares can be carried in your vehicle instead of traditional road flares. Furthermore, the lack of hazardous materials produced by LED flares lends not only to ambient safety, but also to reducing the contamination of the water and soil of the Finger Lakes. This alternative will allow for traditions such as the Ring of Fire to continue, while protecting water quality and the safety of participants.

New York State Invasive Species Awareness Week 2024

Posted on by Michele Wunderlich

New York State’s annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is from June 3 to June 9, 2024. This is an annual campaign to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they cause by providing a wide range of activities across the state and showing people how to stop the spread of invasive species. To get more information on invasive species, and a schedule of Invasive Species Awareness Week events visit https://fingerlakesinvasives.org/nyisaw24/ and   https://nyis.info/events/month/2024-06/ .